Summary:
SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 is more than a cosmetic upgrade; it represents a tenfold increase in the amount of detail you can add to your rendered creations.
Target Apps:
Creation of 3D animated characters and visual effects for video production, film production and interactive games
What It Costs You:
Foundation ($495); Essentials ($1,995); and Advanced ($6,995) (educational discounts available)
What’s Cool:
Support for dual-core and 64-bit processors, render engine is 10 times more memory efficient; much less likely to crash while rendering; includes Maya migration and Gator data transfer tools
What’s Missing:
Maya migration and Gator data transfer tools are available only in the Essentials and Advanced packages
RATINGS: Products are rated for features, performance, ease of use and overall value on a scale from LAME, OK, SOLID, SWEET to HOT.
Specs
Operating System: Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Pro x64, Windows 2000 or Linux Windows XP with Service Pack 1 Processors: Pentium III, AMD K7 or higher processor Connections: USB or serial port for copy-protection dongle Memory: 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended) Graphics: OpenGL accelerated graphics card (64 MB of video RAM recommended)
Can you afford custom graphics from a leading visual effects facility, such as Weta Digital or Industrial Light and Magic? For 99.9 percent of video and film producers, the answer is no. That has created an immense gulf between what a Hollywood blockbuster looks like and what everyone else can do on their own. Fortunately, that gap is beginning to narrow. Much of the credit is due to improvements in commercially available 3D rendering programs, such as Avid’s SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0, as well the latest advancements in computer hardware. You still can’t duplicate The Lord of the Rings on a shoestring budget, but you can add some synthetic sparkle to your production if you, or someone in your organization, is willing to invest the time to learn the software.
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